Can't get it up

I read once that thread titles need to be "eye-catchers" to get veterans to take a look, so yeah.

I have seriously low ph. 2 weeks ago while sweeping behind my tank, I accidentally unplugged my powerheads and heater. I'm not 100% sure this is what caused it but my ph dropped to 7.4 by morning. My probe has never read above 7.9, I thought maybe it was bad so I tested it myself and sure enough, 7.4.

It'd been 2 weeks since my last wc so I tried that, my ph came up to 7.7... next morning 7.4. I've tried buffing with that aquavitro balance, highest it went was 7.6, then back down to 7.4. Even the powder reef buffer that raises alk, same thing. Here's what I've got.

nitrate 0 nitrite 0 ammonia 0 cal 380-400 alk 11 salinity 1.023 ph 7.4 my tank temp is 78. I use reef crystals and have good circulation. I'm unsure what the deal is. Does anyone have any idea why this is happening? I have never ever ever had a prob with ph in this tank until now, it's been set up for 15 months now.

My fish and coral are fine, which baffles me b/c I've lost animals to ph probs before in another tank. I have been told that if my tank is "functioning and things aren't dying" that I shouldn't worry about a number b/c "they're not specific", but I think we have parameters for a reason and don't want to lose an animal b/c it was fine that way a week ago, ya know.

 

I'd also like to add that I've started using lymewater to raise my ph, at the advice of my LFS. Is this a good idea? So far, it's only come up a little 7.6 but I'm out now and can't get anymore until morning and ph is already dropping.

 

what kind/ how much/size of coral do you currently have in your tank?

 

Just a quick read but when's the last time you calibrated you probe ?

 

I haven't calibrated it, it came with the tank. I tested it myself with API test kit and got 7.4 result.

I have several different corals. A lg duncan, 2 plate corals, 4 goniopora, 3 lobos, a lg hammer, a lg frogspawn, 2 lg torch, a trachaphyllia, 2 favia, a gorgonian, 2 monti caps, mille frag, a couple acro frags, a cyphestrea frag, a clam... not sure how my spelling is on all that. I've been told I keep my cal on the low side, I don't know if that affects ph though.

 

Test the same time each day, once in the am before the lights go on and at the end of the lighting period in the pm, see how much of a swing you have going. Your higher value should be at the end of the day.

Increase surface agitation as able.

Test for alk/ca/magnesium values as well. Alk parameters will be of more value than pH.

Make small changes and do not try to correct overnight or over 24 hours unless you are visually seeing stress in your corals and animals which you are not.

There are couple ways to correct chronic lower pH or pH swings but you need to know the swings first.

 

Wouldn't trust a API test kit to save my life... My API says 7.5 all the time and my oh probe is 8.4 on my apex jr that I just recalabrated prior it was 7.7....
But my honest guess is that you need to recalibrate your probe.. They need to be recalabrated every so often and cleaned as well...

If your ph was 7.4 I'd think you would be seeing a lot of death in your tank .

 

That's what I thought too... I'll clean it in the morning. LFS said I need to order some solution to calibrate it, I'll look into that as well.

Any thoughts on the lymewater? Guy says it's just a raw form of kalk and that it won't stop raising my cal level so once I get my ph up I'll have to alternate between topping off with it and plain RODI

 

Will start tomorrow and report back. If silor proves to be correct though, idk how long it will take to get the "calibrating solution" so API it is until then.

 

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